Designer Etiquette…link back to your site?

Hey fellow designers…I’ve got an etiquette question I’d like to pose to the forum users. When you design sites for your clients, do you leave a "Designed/Developed/Created by Your Name" link at the bottom? Do you do this automatically, or with your clients’ permission? Do you give a discount for the link? I’d like my clients’ sites to display a link but not quite sure how to go about it the PC way. Appreciate your feedback!

When I was starting out, I did it on every site. Smaller clients never seemed to mind. Chances are you are getting underpaid when you are starting out anyway. When you start charging thousands of dollars for a site, I think the client deserves a site without an advertisement for you on it. At that point, you probably don’t need it anyway.

I have always thought it to be standard. LIke an artist signing his work. I didn’t even think you would ask for permission. Do you tell Sony that you want them to take their logo off your 2,000 dollar plasma t.v? Would you ask Toyota to remove the HUGE toyota writing on your tailgate for your thirty thousand dollar truck? I figure if they don’t ask, you don’t tell. If they do ask, then you have to consider how important it is for you to keep them happy. Is word of mouth more valuable than a small link on the footer of a page?

I always put a designed by credit and have never had it mentioned. However, if a client wanted it removed, I would cheerfully remove it.

I am careful to make it small, unabtrusive, and in a color that doesn’t significantly standout from the background until you mouse over it. For instance, If I had a black background, I might use #808080 with a white hover.

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What now? I have some ideas for you.

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